More Schools May Get Security Cameras

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The Houston Independent School District Superintendent toured school campuses to review security procedures. Houston Public Radio's Capella Tucker reports officials are focusing on trying to increase cameras on school campuses.

HISD officials say the $805 million bond proposal on the November ballot includes money for security upgrades. Some of the $90 million worth of proposed upgrades would be cameras inside and outside of school buildings. Superintendent Abe Saavedra says about a third of schools have systems in place that HISD police can monitor around the clock. He says the age of the school and individual campuses own efforts determined which schools already have security systems.

"So nearly half of these schools were the result of the fact that they were brand new schools, others might have been investment, part of the local school budget, in other cases it might be investments by booster clubs or parent clubs or neighborhood clubs."

HISD police say in the last year they received about 18,000 alarm calls from campuses. About 13,000 of those required response from police for such things as burglary and vandalism. Capella Tucker, Houston Public Radio News.